Strand handling device



May '12, 1936. w. H. AGENKoPr- ET AL 2,040,330

STRAND HANDLING. DEVICE Filed Jan. lO, 1935 i Y will/111111 ATTO/WYE Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,040,330 STRAND HANnLiNG DEVICE Application January 10, 1935, Serial No. 1,164

9 Claims. (Cl. 140-119) 'I'his invention relates toa strand handling dea position where their inner ends are closely vice and more particularly to a hand tool for wiring terminals.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and eicient hand tool for Wiring step-bystep bank assemblies. 4

In accordance with the object, one embodiment of the invention contemplates a hand tool for simultaneously applying two Wires to spaced terminals comprising a handle having a rotatable member provided with two tubes through which the wires to be applied to the terminals may pass,

and manually operable means for stopping the rotation of the rotatable member during the application of the wires.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description `taken `in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the hand tool, portions thereof being shown in elevation; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view ofthe hand tool illustrating the manner in which the wires are applied to the terminals of an article.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numeralsdesignate similar parts, numeral IU `designates a hollow handle having threadedly disposed in one end thereof a wire gripping unit II. The unit II is circular in general contour and'has grooves I2 cut in diametrically opposite portions thereof, these grooves being connected at I3 for receiving gripping members I4. The gripping members I4 are substan- '35 tially square in cross-section and are supported by flat springs I5 secured tothe inner walls ol.' the grooves I2, as illustrated in Fig. 1. A conical 'shaped aperture I6 in the unit II provides a passagewayfor wires I9 and 20 which are to be threaded through the hand tool as hereinafter described. y 'Ihe other end of the handle I0 is enlarged for -receiving ball bearings 2| Vof a rotatable unit, the outer ball races of which are rmly held in this enlarged portion of the handle by a cap 22 which is threadedly secured to the enlarged portion of the handle. The inner rotatable ball races of the bearings 2| `are xed together by mounting them on the reduced portion of a sleeve 23 and placing a collar or nut 26 on the threaded end of the sleeve to rmly hold the ball races thereon. The collar rotates in the opening 2I-in. cap `22. Extending through the sleeve 23 are tubes 24 'and 25 which are spiralin general formation and extend into the handle I0 a slight distance t0 2t may be fed therethrough. The end portions of the wire guides are reduced in cross-section so that the wires passing therethrough may be J readily applied to terminals. The reduced end 15 portions of the guides 30 and 3I have an internal bore of such a size as to snugly lit over the insulation on the wire and exert a slightpressure thereon and the enlarged portion of the guides have a larger bore. Slidably disposed in an aperture 20 in the handle II! is a stop pin or plunger 32 resiliently supported by a flat spring 33 and having its inner end V-shaped and receivable in a V-shaped groove 34 in the sleeve 23 for holding the rotatable unit against rotation when desired. 25 In Fig. 2 a fragmentary portion of a step-by- Vstep bank assembly is shown having rows of spaced terminals 35, the terminals of one row being staggered with respect to the terminals of the `adjacent rows so that a plan view of the bank as- 30 sembly will show the terminals of one row being positioned between the terminals of another row or adjacent to the row. The wires I9 and 20 are insulated and the insulation at spaced positions or at predetermined lengths is removed 35 from each wire, leaving bare spaces of sulicient length to wind around the terminals 35. These wires are also twisted as illustrated in Fig. 1 prior to the time they are threaded through the hand tool. 40

In using the hand tool to apply the wires I9 and 2U to the ,terminals 35, the hand tool is placed in the hand of the operator in such a position that the thumb may be placed upon the plunger 32.

The plunger 32 is allowed to remain in its nor- 45 mal position shown in Fig. 1 as the hand tool is moved longitudinally with respect to the wires I9 and 20.

For the purpose of illustration, let it be assumed that one set of bare portions of the wires 50 I9 and 20 are secured to two of the terminals, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The hand tool is then drawn away from the terminals to draw the wires'through the tool until `the next bare portions appear adjacent the Wire guides 30 and 3|. 55

In wiring a terminal bank wire is used that is twisted in pairs and, therefore, during this movement of the tool relative to the wires, the wires in passing through the tubes 24 and 25 will cause this portion of the rotatable unit, that is the tubes 213 and 25, the rotatable ball races of the bearings 2l, the sleeve 23 and the wire guides 30 and 3l, to rotate due to the twist in the wires at the inlet to the guides, thus the twist originally in a pair of wires is restored to the pair of wires at the outlet of the guides, the twist extending Y from the terminals to the ends of the wire guides. When the bare portions of the wires appear lat the ends of the Wire guides 3i] and 3l, the operator presses downwardly upon the plunger 32 and when the V-shaped groove 3e is moved into registration therewith the plunger will hold the rotating unit against further rotation and will l position the wire guides 30 and 3l so that they may readily apply the adjacent bare portions-of the wires upon the next set of terminals. The hand tool is then moved to a position adjacent the next set of terminals and the wire guides 36 and 3l are moved in somewhat circuitous paths about their respective terminals as, for example, in a clockwise direction to bring the wires from above the terminals around through the right-hand notches therein, under the terminals, up through the left-hand notches therein and over the terminals, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to form locking loops of the wires upon the terminals. This particular system of Wiring is merely VYillustrative and it may in some cases be convenient to reverse the direction of the path of movement of the tool and have the leads cross underneath the terminals. When the wires have been attached to a set of terminals, plunger 32 is released and as the hand tool is moved away from the terminals and relative to the wires I9 and 20, the rotatable unit is again caused to rotate by the twisted wires passing through the spiral tubes 2d and 25 until the next bare portions of the wires appear at the ends of the wire guides Bil and 3l. Thisv operation is continued until the bare portions of the wires are secured to the various kterminals of the bank assembly, the wire guides 3i! and 3l being spaced so that two terminals may be wired` simultaneously and the wire between each set of terminals twisted in the same manner as they were before being fed through the hand tool. The gripping members lll with their resilient mountings l5 serve as brakes for the wires I9 and 20. As stated above, the reduced end portions of the guides 313 and 3l have an internal bore of such a size as to snugly fit over the insulation on the wire and exert a slight pressure thereon and the enlarged portion of the guides have a larger bore. TheA purpose of this is that whena bare portion of the wire to be' applied is passing through the reduced por'- tion of the guide, the shoulder formed on the wire by the beginning of the next insulated portion engages the throat of the small bore and produces a sensible retardation of the wire to 'apprise the operator that the end of the bare portions are about to appear at the outlet of the guides so that the hand tool may be stopped readily when the bare portions of the wires have fully emerged at the ends of the wire guides 30 and 3l.

After the wires are attached to a terminal bank, they are soldered in a manner well known in thev art and the precedure in the construction of terminal banks from this point on may follow conventional practice.

It will be understood that the nature and embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative and that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. A hand tool comprising a handle through which strands ofmaterial may pass, strand guides mounted in the handle to be rotatable about the axis thereof and through which the strands may pass and so spaced that the strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by moving said handle to move said guides in a circuitous path therearound.

2, A hand tool comprising a handle through which strands o-f material may pass, strand Vguides mounted in the handle to be rotatable about the axis thereof and through which the strands may pass and so spaced that the strands Amay bek simultaneously secured to spaced terminals'y by movingsaid handle to move said guides in a circuitous path therearound, and friction memberscarried by said handle for engaging the strands passing therethrough tending to hold said strands against movement relative to the handle.

3. A hand tool comprising a handle through which twisted strands of material may pass, an elementl rotatably disposed in said handle, and strand guides through which the strands may pass mounted on said rotatable element to be rotatable therewith and so spaced that the strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by moving the handle to move the guides in a circuitous path therearound, said strand guides being disposed so that the twisted strands of material may rotate said rotatable element and said strand guides to twist the strands after they are secured to the terminals.

4. A hand tool comprising a handle through which twisted strands of material may pass, an element rotatably disposed in said handle, and strand guides through which the strands may passcarried by said rotatable element and so spaced that the strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by moving the handle to move the guides in a circuitous path therearound, said strand guides being disposed so that the twisted strands of material may rotate said rotatable element and said strand guides totwist the strands after they are secured to the terminals, andmeans for selectively holding said rotatable element against rotation.

5. A hand tool comprising a handle through whichrtwisted strands of material may pass, an Velement rotatably disposed in said handle, strand guides through which the strands may pass carried by said rotatable element and so spaced that theV strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by'moving the handle to move the guides in a circuitous path therearound, means whereby the twisted strands of material may rotate said element with said strand guides to twist the strands after they are secured to the terminals, and means for selectively holding said rotatable element against rotation, and for positioning the strand guide so that the strands extending therethrough may be readily secured to the terminals.

y 6. A-hand tool comprising a handle through which twisted strands of material may pass, an element rotatably disposed in said handle, strand guides through which the strands may pass carried by said rotatable element and so spaced that the strands maybe simultaneously secured `to spaced terminals by moving the handle to move the guides in a circuitous path therearound, means whereby the twisted strands of material may rotate said element with said strand guides to twist the strands after they are secured to the terminals.

'1. A hand tool comprising a handle through which twisted strands of material may pass, an element rotatably disposed in said handle comprising strand guides through which the strands may pass,l said guides being 'spaced so that the strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by moving said handles to move said guides in a circuitous path around the terminals,

and tubular members spiral in general formation communicating with said strand guides and through which the strands of material may pass, the formation of said tubular members causing rotation of said element when said handle with said element is moved relative to the strand material.

8. A hand tool comprising a handle through which twisted strands of material may pass, an element rotatably disposed in said handle comprising strand guides through which the strands may pass, said guides being spaced so that the strands may be simultaneously secured to spaced terminals by moving said handles to move said guides in a circuitous path around the terminals, and tubular members spiral in general formation communicating with said strand guides and through which the strands of material may pass, the formation of said tubular members causing rotation of said element when said handle with said element is moved relative to the strand material, the rotation of said element twisting the strands between the terminals and said guides and means for selectively stopping the rotation of said element.

9. A device for applying wires to terminals, comprising a body member having two passages through which wires may be drawn, said passages terminating in tubular extensions relatively disposed for wrapping each of two wires about a corresponding one of two terminals simultaneous- 1y.

WALTER H. PAGENKOPF. RODNEY L. HANSON. 

